Editor's note: With offseason work across the league coming to an end, the focus shifts to the steamy summer workouts ahead. To get you fully primed for the preseason and beyond, Sporting News provides in-depth looks at all 32 teams leading into training camp. Today:Philadelphia Eagles. Prediction: Third, NFC East. Up next:Washington Redskins.

For the first time since the 1998 and '99 campaigns, the Philadelphia Eagles are coming off consecutive seasons that ended without playoff berths. The sudden tumble from annual playoff contender to an NFC East doormat that went 4-12 last year, cost coach Andy Reid his job after 14 seasons and led to major front-office changes.

The franchise's direction is now in the hands of new coach Chip Kelly, an intriguing — if not curious — replacement given his pedigree and unconventional coaching style. Kelly, a renowned offensive mastermind, raised the profile of Oregon's football program into the national spotlight. Kelly has never coached in the NFL, but at least four teams tried to hire him over the past two years. Several others invited him to their practices.

Kelly could be the next Bill Walsh — or the next Steve Spurrier. The Eagles, who have never won a Super Bowl, are willing to take that risk to find out.

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Kendricks showed promise as a rookie last season, even when miscast as a 4-3 strongside linebacker. A former second-round pick, Kendrick has good range and quickness, which serves him well playing inside in the 3-4. He can also move outside and rush the quarterback. His versatility will appeal to Kelly.

"Connor played as well this (past) year as he played (in 2011); he just didn't have the numbers. He's always an effort player. I thought he did a hell of a job for (the Texans). I thought he had a good season; he just didn't have the 10-to-12 sacks. I think he can play either side, I really do. We know he can rush the passer. You saw that two years ago with his production from a sack standpoint. He can drop into zone coverage, those type of things — zone pressures that guys like to do in a 3-4. Connor will be a consistent player. The numbers (will) come back. You never know from year to year, but I think you're gonna get the same thing all the time."

INSIDE THE HEADSET

Kelly frequently went for two points after touchdowns at Oregon and ran plays on fourth down instead of punting — decisions that were based on matchups and percentages, not gut feelings or hunches. He is big on mathematical advantages and mismatches, so expect some of his decisions to appear off-the-cuff and unconventional but are instead actually calculated and deliberate.

Next: View from the other sideline

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View from the other sideline

An opponent breaks down the Eagles:

"Certainly the challenges that Chip Kelly presents are obvious. Certainly, (he has) a great track record at Oregon. He's just a darn good football coach, and he's bringing that style of football to the NFL. I think we have seen glimpses of that the last couple of years where there has been a trickle up of college offenses to the NFL. And they are challenging. And his style is even different than some of the things we have seen already.

"We are going to do a lot of studying of what he's done to make sure we are ready for it, because I think it's different. It's different from what a lot of teams have seen. It is a little bit more challenging when you have a college coach coming in, but we've found ourselves watching college tape in the past when a similar transition happened."

Next: analysis of offense

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Analysis: offense

The name of Kelly's game is speed — speed at practice, speed during games, speed in every facet of the team. This will obviously be the most visible of Kelly's fingerprints on the organization. His laser-quick offenses in college were known for operating at a pace that confounded opposing defenses and for continuously morphing from year to year to fit personnel. Kelly would like his spread offense in the NFL to be in the 80-to-100 range of plays per game, which would be revolutionary by league standards.

Quarterbacks: An open competition will take place among incumbents Michael Vick and Nick Foles and newcomers Matt Barkley and Dennis Dixon. In these four, Kelly has candidates of vastly different strengths and weaknesses, along with disparate skill sets. Vick and Dixon are dual threats who can make plays on the run. Foles and Barkley are conventional pocket passers, although good athletes.

Barkley was a fourth-round pick and a prospect the Eagles had ranked among their top 50 prospects. He not only backs up the coach's repeated claim that mobility isn't mandatory to play quarterback in his offense but also puts Vick, now 33, in an uncomfortable position. Most first-year coaches tend to build their offense around a young quarterback with promise. Kelly now has two of those in Barkley and Foles. The winner of the competition will be Kelly's first major personnel decision.

Kelly has said his starter won't be the quarterback who best fits the system. Instead, the system will be designed around the quarterback who emerges as his best starting option. If it's Vick or the dark horse Dixon, expect to see heavy doses of read option. If it's Foles or Barkley, expect the spread, two-tight end attack that New England has popularized. GRADE: C+

Running backs: Based on his college coaching resume, Kelly's tendencies to run are greater than Andy Reid's. Fortunately, he has Pro Bowler LeSean McCoy and 2012 breakout phenom Bryce Brown to spearhead the ground game.

McCoy's production dipped last season behind a makeshift offensive line and after missing several weeks because of a concussion. Still, he has arguably the NFL's most explosive first step and is generally one of the hardest halfbacks to corral in the open field.

Brown, a 2012 seventh-round pick, burst onto the scene by totaling an NFL-rookie record 347 yards in his first two starts. He ran with the rare combination of top-end speed and power, showing why he was once the most coveted running back in high school. But he also showed that he's raw and unrefined, fumbling four times — and losing three — on 115 carries.

McCoy and Brown could be a dangerous thunder-and-lightning tandem for Kelly's offense, especially as Kelly works through his unclear quarterback situation.

Free-agent addition Felix Jones, a former first-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys, could be an impact sleeper if he can stay healthy and get reps. The team is also high on second-year pro Chris Polk, who made the roster last season as an undrafted free agent. Polk is a power back with good eyes and good hands. GRADE: A

Receivers: Kelly's emphasis on the hurry-up offense should help produce 1,000-yard seasons for both DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, explosive receivers who have yet to fulfill their potential. Jackson was en route to his best season in 2012 until broken ribs cost him the final five games. Maclin's 69 receptions were the second most of his career, but his 12.4 yards per reception marked the lowest of his four seasons.

The speedy Jackson, a matchup nightmare, is expected to be a moving part in Kelly's system. Maclin enters the last year of his rookie deal, so there's an impetus for him to finally put it all together.

Kelly plans to make two-tight end formations — and sometime three — a staple, which is the primary reason the Eagles signed fullback/tight end James Casey in free agency and drafted Stanford's Zach Ertz early in the second round. Casey and Ertz will complement Brent Celek to give the Eagles their version of the Rob Gronkowski/Aaron Hernandez tandem from New England. Ertz might have the best overall talent of the three and stands to make the biggest impact of all the rookies.

The focus on tight ends will diminish the role for Jason Avant, a pure slot receiver who has the best hands on the team and makes the toughest catches. But the focus on speed and versatility should open doors for 5-8 wideout Damaris Johnson, one of the few Eagles who could keep pace with Jackson in a sprint.

The trade for Arrelious Benn, a big receiver who can play the slot and has experience in the return game, could push third-year pro Riley Cooper out the door. Benn was a second-round pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers whose career has been set back by injuries. GRADE: B

Line: This is the shakiest area of the offense given its injury history, overall age and Kelly's demand to have his team run like mad men.

If All-Pro left tackle Jason Peters is still elite after two surgeries on the same Achilles' tendon last offseason, that's a bonus. Peters, a freakish athlete, should have no problem fitting into Kelly's plan if he's not damaged goods.

Left guard Evan Mathis, the only lineman to start all 16 games last season, comes off an outstanding second season and also has the athleticism and mobility for the offense.

Everyone else is a question mark. Todd Herremans, who went on IR last November with a foot injury that required surgery, will probably move to right guard after two seasons at right tackle to clear room for Lane Johnson, the fourth overall pick. Herremans, 30, wasn't playing his best before the injury. Johnson also has off-the-charts athleticism for his size (6-6, 303 pounds) and should fit perfectly into Kelly's offense, but he's raw and will need coaching.

Third-year center Jason Kelce comes off major knee surgery that cost him almost all of 2012. Danny Watkins, a 2011 first-round pick who hasn't held down the right guard spot, is seemingly the odd man out with Herremans moving inside.

Reserve tackle Dennis Kelly showed promise as a rookie but needs to get stronger and faster if he wants to succeed under the new coach. Nate Menkin is a dark-horse candidate at right guard based on his natural athleticism. GRADE: C+ Next: analysis of defense

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Analysis: defense

New coordinator Billy Davis has dropped few clues about the look and design of his defense, but the team's offseason actions have forecast a switch from the 4-3 alignment that Andy Reid ran for 14 years to a 3-4 front.

The defenses Davis presided over in his previous coordinator stints, with the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals, were hybrids that capitalized on pass rushers with versatility. His goal for the Eagles is to field a tempo-setting, attack defense that rattles passers, creates turnovers and emphasizes form tackling — three areas where the team really struggled over the past two years.

Line: After 14 seasons of gap-shooting interior tackles and speed rushers on the outside, the defensive line will look much different. Fletcher Cox, last year's first-round pick, moves from 4-3 defensive tackle to end in an odd-man front. Cox will have different gap responsibilities but his run defense emerged last season and the new scheme shouldn't hurt him. He will move inside in the pass rush.

Free-agent pickup Isaac Sopoaga will man the nose on running downs. Although he's north of 30 years of age, the team made Sopoaga a top priority in free agency because of his leadership and willingness to embrace Kelly's concepts.

Cedric Thornton, a rotational tackle last season, will battle with third-round pick Bennie Logan of LSU and 2012 second-round pick Vinny Curry to man the five-technique spot opposite Cox. Thornton is a natural run-stopper whose pass-rushing skills have gradually improved. Curry has added pounds to play a two-gap system.

Depth is an issue. Backup nose tackle Antonio Dixon has no 3-4 experience, and reserve Clifton Geathers is the only backup end with 3-4 experience. Geathers has also taken snaps at the nose this spring. Don't be shocked if rookie Damion Square grabs a bottom-roster spot. GRADE: CLinebackers: On the inside, the Eagles are set with second-year pro Mychal Kendricks and veteran DeMeco Ryans. Kendricks, who was miscast on the strong side in the 4-3, played inside in a 3-4 scheme in college. He also has the versatility to move outside on passing downs and rush the passer. Ryans' coverage isn't a strong point but he's smart and excellent against the run. He'll be a two-down linebacker.

The success of the defense hinges on how Brandon Graham and Trent Cole adjust to their new roles as outside linebackers and stand-up pass rushers. Both are more accustomed to playing with their hands in the dirt.

The Eagles were smart to sign Connor Barwin away from the Houston Texans in free agency and arm themselves with at least one outside linebacker who has 3-4 pedigree. The team signed Canadian Football League import Chris McCoy and former second-round pick Everette Brown, a fifth-year journeyman, for depth. They also traded for Emmanuel Acho to give them another body to compete here. GRADE: B Secondary: The team shifted its philosophy at cornerback, getting rid of Nnamdi Asomugha and letting Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie walk in free agency. Those two former Pro Bowlers, who failed miserably in their two seasons with the Eagles, became the poster boys for the team's downfall. They were replaced by two free agents who couldn't be more different. Neither of the new corners — Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher — has made a Pro Bowl, but both are considered tough, physical, blue-collar defensive backs who aren't afraid to make tackles.

Second-year corner Brandon Boykin enjoyed a very good rookie season while exclusively manning the slot, and will likely have the same role in 2013.

At safety, the Eagles signed under-the-radar free agents Kenny Phillips and Patrick Chung, players with Super Bowl experience, to compete with incumbent Nate Allen. Both were high picks — Phillips was a first-rounder in 2009 — and had played well at one point in their careers. But each has struggled with injuries and wasn't productive enough to earn second contracts with their original teams. GRADE: C

Next: analysis of special teams

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Analysis: special teams

Moving to the 3-4 increases the number of linebackers on the roster, which should help improve athleticism on the coverage teams for punts and kicks. Each were among the NFL's worst last season.

Coach Chip Kelly hinted that DeSean Jackson would return more punts, a role of his that diminished over the past two seasons. Jackson has averaged just 6.2 yards per return on 18 attempts since the start of 2011.

Third-year kicker Alex Henery, who had set an NFL rookie record for make percentage (88.9), recorded a team record last year by nailing 22 straight, although two of his four misses came from inside the 32-yard line. Newcomer Donnie Jones has been among the league's best punters over the past few years and should be an upgrade. GRADE: C+

Next: Bottom line

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Bottom line

The coaches won't admit it, but 2013 is a transition year for the Eagles as they take their first steps in shaping the roster to fit Kelly's blueprint and get acclimated to his system.